Rural News

Telford’s annual UK Dairy Day has become the latest event in the farming calendar to be postponed or cancelled following the Covid-19 pandemic.

A website created to help farmers find fruit and veg pickers in the Covid-19 crisis, which has resulted in a shortage of overseas workers, has now registered 25,000 people.

It is with regret that the National Sheep Association (NSA) is today announcing the unfortunate cancellation of this years NSA Sheep Event 2020.

The second year of a campaign by the British levy bodies has succeeded in reaching 17 million people, helping to bring a more balanced perspective to public discussion around the health properties of red meat.

Over the past two months, the UK’s largest food and farming scheme has seen 6,300 members complete remote assessments on farm.

A global survey of large scale farmers in the USA, France, China, Brazil, India and across Africa for Syngenta Group found 72% are worried about the impact climate change will have on crop yields, animal health and their ability to do business over the next five years.

Sustainable farming organisation LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) has recently welcomed two new demonstration farms, recognising them as centres of excellence for sustainable farming.

Experts are investigating ways to create new foods and related products from alternative crops to maximise the use of locally produced food and drink. 

New Waitrose boss James Bailey has said the retailer will not stock lower quality food imports such as chlorinated chicken or hormone-injected beef, even if the UK strikes a trade deal that allows such imports.

Rural tourism businesses will be able to reopen from 4th July, the government has announced, prompting a sigh of relief from rural organisations.

Visitors to the countryside are being asked to leave barbecues at home and take extreme care, as the heatwave is heightening fire risks.

With the use of webinars increasing amongst all sectors of the agricultural industry significantly during the Covid-19 lockdown, the National Sheep Association (NSA) has added to its diary of virtual events with further online delivery sessions set to help sheep farmers in a variety of areas over the coming months.